You Had Me At Hello
by RueEmerson
Summary: Martha Wayne's best friend and Bruce Wayne's godmother Hallee Parker comes to stay at the Wayne Manor after the murders. Can she win over the reserved butler who captured her attention since the beginning? One-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: A one-shot because there needs to be more Alfred-centric stories. That body and that accent, the man is sexy as hell! Bear with me as I'm taking a bit of liberty here with character building outside the comic book canon. I would surmise Hallee Parker is in her early 30s, much like I would envision Martha Wayne to be at the time of her death. Likewise Alfred Pennyworth is in his early 50s._**

Alfred Pennyworth eyed the woman in front of him, sitting with Bruce on the patio.

Hallee Parker had always been the boy's life and somehow burrowed her way into his, too.

"Aunt Hallee, tell me another story about my mom," Bruce pleaded. Hallee grinned, ruffling his hair.

"What about?" she asked.

"Anything. How about another one from your college days?" he asked.

Hallee closed her eyes and leaned back in the lounge chair as she thought about it.

She and Martha Kane had been quite the pair, her from the "wrong side of the tracks" and Martha from privilege. They had met in a Shakespearean class and found they shared several interests.

During the holidays Martha had insisted she accompany her home since Hallee didn't have any family and would hole up in her dorm room anyway. They had been inseparable in those days.

When Thomas Wayne entered the picture, Hallee was at Martha's side when they wed and she had been among the first to celebrate Bruce's birth.

She took up Martha's platform to stop and prevent child trafficking in Gotham and became a social worker, which caused her to work long hours, limiting her visits to the Wayne Manor.

Hallee was devastated when she heard about their murders and had dropped everything as best as she could to rush to Bruce's side.

She knew Thomas and Martha had stipulated Alfred would be Bruce's legal guardian in the event of their deaths, but that didn't stop her from trying to bolster her godson's spirits and offer a motherly hug or two.

"Well, there was this one time your father wanted to impress your mother and appeared outside her apartment unannounced," Hallee said, leaning forward, her eyes sparkling.

"He was so besotted by your mom, he was willing to do anything to get her attention," she said. "So he decided he would serenade her. I knew of the plan in advance so I had made an excuse to be there and get her toward the window."

"It was so romantic! The problem was your dad couldn't carry a tune and her neighbors called the cops," Hallee said, laughing. "Imagine your mother trying to explain to the officers that he was the great Thomas Wayne and that he wasn't disturbing the peace."

Bruce smiled at the thought of his father singing, but then sobered when he thought about the Gotham City Police Department. Hallee noticed his reaction and her own smile faltered.

"I'm sorry, little man. I didn't mean to remind you of your sorrow," she said, putting an arm around his shoulders.

"It's okay, Aunt Hallee," he said, leaning into her. "I just miss them."

"Me, too," she said, hugging him, glancing up when Alfred walked towards them.

Her breath hitched at the sight of him. She had had a crush on him for years. He was so dashing, even though he was reserved and rarely paid attention to her.

She had swooned the first time she heard him speak. Martha had noticed, too, and briefly tried to play matchmaker.

Hallee had finally told her Alfred would never notice her, that he was so focused on serving as their butler and bodyguard, that he'd never see her as any more than a friend of the family.

"It's time for dinner, Master Bruce," Alfred said, addressing the boy but looking at Hallee. "Will ya be joining us, miss?"

"Yes! Please stay Aunt Hallee!" Bruce answered, holding onto her.

"Okay, then. I guess it's settled," Hallee replied, giving Alfred a slight smile.

He nodded and escorted them inside.

After dinner, Hallee saw Bruce to bed and then made her way to the foyer to see herself out. Alfred met her at the door. He towered over her by more than a foot.

"I know Master Bruce appreciated ya coming by for a visit," he said.

"Thank you for taking such good care of him," she replied, boldly leaning up to give him a peck on the cheek. "I appreciate you being in our lives."

Something flickered in his eyes but it was gone before she could analyze it.

"Have a g'night, Miss Parker," he said as he held open the door.

"Goodnight Alfred," she said, ignoring that he didn't address her by her first name. "Call me if you need me. I'll come straight away."

Alfred nodded and watched her walk to her car, a twitch in his jaw.

* * *

><p>"Bruce, you're going to drive Alfred insane with that behavior!" Hallee admonished him, urging him to come off the banister ledge.<p>

"Selina said I need to practice," he said, hopping down onto the stairs.

Hallee rolled her eyes at the mention of the waif that reminded her of a stray cat. She liked the girl well enough but Selina had a rebellious nature and it was starting to rub off on her godson.

Hallee pulled Bruce aside and leaned in close.

"If you're going to do stuff like that, go outside where you can practice in private," she whispered. She knew Alfred disapproved of Bruce's sudden need to act like a boy by climbing and jumping.

He nodded and took off for the gardens. Hallee smiled to herself.

"I dunno why ya insist on encouragin' 'im," Alfred said from behind her. She jumped and spun around, her hands on her hips, chin jutted out.

"Enough already, Alfred! Bruce is a boy who needs to explore and experience things for himself," she retorted.

"And if 'e falls and breaks a bone or scrapes a knee? What then, eh?" he challenged.

"He'll survive! You can't shield him from growing up," she argued. "He needs to be able to feel. I don't want him to withdraw and shut himself off from knowing what it's like live."

Alfred stared at her for a moment. Hallee shifted under his scrutiny.

"Is that what ya think of me? That I dunno what it's like to feel?" he quietly asked, stepping into her personal space.

Hallee swallowed, suddenly at a loss of what to say.

"This feel like nothin', Hallee?" Alfred nearly growled, pulling her to him with the evidence of his desire pressed her abdomen.

Hallee braced her hands on his chest and then smiled as his hands tightened on her hips.

"I would never accuse you of not feeling, Alfred," she softly said, brushing her fingers across his neck and plunging them into his hair. But before she could act, she heard Bruce cry out.

* * *

><p>Hallee glanced around the guest bedroom and shook her head. Her new living quarters at Wayne Manor were much more extravagant and much larger than her measly one-bedroom apartment.<p>

Bruce had insisted with Alfred's approval that Hallee live with them since she was there more often than not. She also could help keep an eye on the headstrong boy who had scraped his knee and interrupted the one sensual interlude she had shared with Alfred.

After that in the weeks to follow, Alfred acted like nothing had happened between them except he seemed a little less harsh with her. He continued to address her as Miss Parker, which annoyed the snot out of her.

* * *

><p>Alfred was getting ready to turn in when he heard faint pounding coming from down the hall. Grabbing his loaded gun, he edged out in the hallway and listened.<p>

It seemed to be coming from Hallee's bedroom. Had an intruder found a way into the manor?

He flung open her bedroom door and rushed in, his gun drawn, only to spot Hallee cross-legged Indian-style on her bed, her back to him, hunched over reading while bopping to the beat of her headphones and drumming on the books scattered around her.

He lowered his weapon and sighed. Hallee noticed movement out of the corner of her eye and jumped, letting the earbuds fall out of her ears.

"Crimey, Alfred! You scared me!" she breathily said, tumbling off the bed, causing a couple of books hit the floor. She eyed him, barefoot and dressed in a T-shirt and sweatpants, before realizing he had a gun at his side.

"Sorry, miss," Alfred replied, eying her scant apparel of a tank top and shorts before shifting his gaze to her face, his own slightly reddening. "I 'eard noise comin' from yer room … my apologies. I'll leave ya to yer privacy."

Hallee watched him and called out to him.

"Wait," she said. Alfred stopped but didn't turn. She didn't know why she wanted him to wait whereas he knew he was entering dangerous territory by waiting.

Hallee walked over and stood in front of him, mustering the courage to speak her mind. Alfred coolly peered down at her, trying to keep himself from reacting to her proximity.

"Are we going to talk about it?" she asked, her hazel eyes staring into his blue ones as she laid a hand on his arm. He struggled not to twitch under her warm touch.

"Hallee," he warned, every fiber of his being wanting to pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless.

She could see he was fighting whether to give in to whatever it was between them. But as much as she wanted to throw herself at him, she didn't want him to regret any of it, so she dropped her hand and stepped back.

Alfred realized he immensely missed her touch and decided to throw caution to the wind. He slid his free hand around her waist and pulled her to him.

Hallee automatically slipped her arms around his neck and expectantly gazed into his face.

"I dunno why the bloody hell yer interested in me," he said, lowering his head and pressing his lips to hers. It didn't take long for the fire to flame. She moaned into his mouth.

Alfred hoisted her up with one arm and Hallee wrapped her legs around him. He carried her to the bed, depositing his gun on the nightstand and painstakingly lowering her to her feet, feeling every inch of her as he did so.

"I'm afraid yer gonna need to clean off the bed before we get to it," he teased. She blushed and scrambled onto the bed, swiftly shoving the rest of the books on the floor and tossing her mp3 player into the bedside chair.

Hallee was back in his arms seconds later, her mouth on his. Alfred ran his hands down her back to her arse and urged her closer. She moaned again and he broke the kiss to whisper in her ear.

"Quiet, darlin'. We don't wanna wake Master Bruce," he huskily murmured even as he groaned into her neck when she moved her hand below to stroke him straining in his sweatpants.

"What was that about being quiet?" Hallee hotly breathed in his ear.

Alfred gently pushed her onto the bed, following her down.

They touched and tweaked, yanking off their clothes in stages until they had no barriers between.

"Ya sure about this, luv?" Alfred asked, settling over her, his hand grazing her hip and up her side before cupping her chin and caressing her cheek.

It had been more than a decade since he'd been with a woman. He'd not really missed the intimacy until Hallee moved in. Then he had had to service himself in the shower to find relief.

"A little late to be asking that, don't you think?" she teased, her hands skimming his shoulder blades down to his arse.

"Right," he replied as he pushed his hips against hers, not yet entering her. "Just don't want ya to regret this later."

"Never," she said, arching into him. He slammed into her hard, burying himself deep, causing both of them to bite back a cry of pleasure at the pure sensation of it.

Together they moved in a rocking rhythm that left them both panting hard and stifling moans.

Hallee's climax hit her first, her body clenching his, her eyes nearly rolling in the back of her head. Alfred bit the inside of his cheek as he rode through it, determined to stay in control.

But his thrusts became erratic and he abruptly pulled out, causing her to gasp at the sudden loss. He spilled himself on her stomach with a low growl before collapsing next to her.

They lay there for a while as their breathing slowed. Ever the gentleman, Alfred reached for the tissues by her bed and wiped all the evidence away before reaching for her and draping her body over his.

Halle nestled her head under his chin so she could listen to his heartbeat. She idly caressed his chest, twining her legs with his, as his fingers traced her backbone and hipbones.

She couldn't believe she was in bed with the man she fantasized about all these years. She wanted to talk to him but she was afraid she'd spoil the moment.

"Ya alright, luv?" Alfred asked, voicing concern at her silence.

Halle lifted her head to look at him.

"The best I've ever been," she said, trying not to sound too eager yet trying not to cry. It just felt so right but she wasn't sure he felt the same way.

As if Alfred could see directly into her soul, he gently tucked a flyaway behind her ear and smiled at her.

"I'm kickin' myself for waitin' so long to come to ya," he said.

She nodded and curled against him as lethargic sleep overtook her.

* * *

><p>When Halle awoke the next morning, she found herself buried underneath her covers alone and all her books stacked next to the nightstand.<p>

She suspected Alfred had stayed as long as he logically could before his servanthood kicked in.

After taking a quick shower, she made her way to the kitchen where she found Bruce perched on a bar stool as Alfred wrangled eggs on the stovetop.

"Mornin'," Alfred said as he set a plate in front of Bruce. He had his traditional white shirt's long sleeves rolled up, collar open and an apron on. He gave her a smile that shot right to her core.

"Good morning," she demurely replied, wondering if Bruce could notice the electricity between them.

The boy seemed oblivious as they went about their normal duties for the day.

That evening after Bruce was asleep, Hallee was sitting on the couch in front of the fire when Alfred joined her. He slipped an arm around her and she laid her head on his shoulder.

"So where do we go from here?" Hallee softly asked.

"What do ya want to happen?" Alfred replied.

Hallee was quiet for a moment.

"I've got you and Bruce. That's all that matters," she said.

"Indeed, luv," he said.

**_A/N: Hope you liked this one-shot. Please review and also let me know if you have any more ideas for Alfred. I just really like Sean Pertwee's version in "Gotham."_**


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N: Decided the one-shot needed an epilogue. This is set approximately three years later. Fluffy, fluffy, fluffy …_**

Hallee lounged in a patio chair as Bruce kicked a soccer ball in the backyard to Alfred, who was surprisingly agile for a 55-year-old man.

She had long ago convinced him when he wasn't technically on duty, he needed to dress down, so on this afternoon he was wearing a long sleeved light blue buttoned-up shirt, rolled up on his forearms, along with a pair of jeans and athletic shoes.

Two months after they had gotten romantically involved, Hallee had told him she was tired to trying to hide their relationship from Bruce. After several close calls of the boy discovering them in compromising positions, she wanted to openly express her affection for the man she loved.

Just when they agreed to sit Bruce down and talk with him, Alfred upped the ante and secretly went to Bruce to ask his permission to marry Hallee. Bruce was ecstatic and helped Alfred surprise Hallee with a proposal the evening the pair was to reveal their relationship to Bruce.

Hallee sighed as she watched the two most important men in her life chase after the ball.

She had encouraged Bruce to pursue any athletic interests he wanted, so like any good father figure, Alfred got to the privilege of strengthening the pre-teen's skills in soccer, karate and boxing.

He drew the line at swimming, so that duty fell to Hallee; she often pondered if Alfred had deliberately refused simply so he could see her in a swimsuit.

They regularly took Bruce on outings into the city, and the older he got, the more he took his role in Wayne Enterprises very seriously. The board had grown accustomed to the young man's inquiries, and under Alfred's watchful eye, they tried to support to Bruce's choices and decisions.

Selina had become a regular fixture at the manor. Alfred and Hallee had both tried to sway her to live with them permanently but she repeatedly refused, saying she liked the streets better. She did, however, seem to always appear around dinner time but was usually gone when they roused in the morning.

Alfred was a bit frustrated that Selina had taken to crawling into bed with Bruce but Hallee reminded him Bruce's hormones hadn't kicked in yet and he really didn't see Selina as a girl. When the time came, she promised she would sit the two down and have "the talk" with them.

For a short time Alfred and Hallee discussed having children of their own but ultimately determined Bruce and Selina were more than enough to handle.

Hallee snapped out of her reverie as a gangly Bruce came to stop in front of her, the soccer ball cradled in one arm. Alfred trailed behind him.

"Aunt Hallee, is it time for dinner yet?" he asked. She laughed and shook her head. Bruce had hit another growth spurt and they could barely keep up with his appetite and changing clothes sizes.

"No but you can go make a peanut butter sandwich if you like," she said, waving him toward the manor.

Bruce grinned at her and ran at full speed for the kitchen. Alfred came to a halt in front of her and she shielded her eyes to look up at him. Damn, he was as handsome as the day she met him, she thought.

"Ready to go in, luv?" he asked, a mischievous sparkle in his eye as he extended a hand to her. "I think I need a shower. Care to join me?"

Hallee grasped his hand and let him pull her up before she swatted him.

"You're incorrigible," she said, stifling a giggle.

Alfred drew her close and she looped her arms around his neck.

"Ya bring outta me, darlin'," he replied. Hallee snorted and shook her head.

"What am I going to do with you?" she teased.

"I'm afraid yer stuck with me," Alfred said, smirking. "Now about that shower …"


End file.
